"What's so special
about this game anyway? It's just
another chapter in the pointless rivalry between Springfield and Shelbyville. They built a mini-mall, so we built a bigger
mini-mall. They made the world's largest
pizza, so we burnt down their city hall."Lisa Simpson on describing
the rivalry between Springfield
and Shelbyville on "The Simpsons"

The
rivalry between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders is far from
pointless, although I do find the above quote about competitions between cities
humorous. To the uninitiated, it seems
really odd to have such hatred for another team because the Pacific
Northwest is collective in its spirit for the most part. As one of the most beautiful areas in the
world, we're often neglected for other interests in the United States
simply because we're all the way up in the far corner. Outsiders believe that it does nothing but
rain all the time, we love coffee all the time, and shabby or casual chic
fashion usually rules, but Pacific Northwesterners like it that way. We're fiercely independent, environmentally
aware, love the outdoors, and are usually incredibly polite to each other. There's even fans from the entire area that
support certain sports clubs because that's the regional team, like for the NFL
and MLB. However, things get
dramatically different when there's a competition between two of the largest
cities in the region.

I'll
admit I circle the dates of matches between the Portland Timbers and Seattle
Sounders. My first ever road match as a
member of the Timbers Army was a drive to Qwest Field in 2004 for the second leg of the USL
playoffs after the Timbers won the opening leg at then PGE Park. Sounders
forward Welton Melo scored in the match's first minutes and then broke the
Timbers' hearts in overtime, and my dislike for the Sounders began. During the drive home, my mood was upbeat but
the nagging feeling that the Timbers should have won just wouldn't leave me. Since that moment, I've traveled up north
multiple times and witnessed countless derby matches between Portland
and Seattle,
and could go on and on with the various happenings of the matches. From blocking the sun with a flag,
unfortunate red cards, uncomfortable rides home, and a miraculous recovery from
home made bourbon by a close friend, there's been plenty of unforgettable
moments within this matchup. The Timbers
have even been counting down the five best moments in the Portland – Seattle
rivalry from a
playoff win back in 1975, the
2001 win over Seattle to open PGE Park for soccer, the
epic 2010 US Open Cup match, and a
billboard in somebody's backyard about a
new MLS team forthcoming.

View full sizeKip Kesgard, community bloggerThe battle continues for this piece of hardware, the Cascadia Cup.

The
rivalry is everywhere in media outlets, who have turned their coverage into
overdrive to talk about every angle of this big event. One player in particular that is getting
significant attention is Timbers
forward Mike Fucito, the first MLS player to ever play for both MLS
clubs. Fucito played in Seattle
for three seasons before his offseason trade to Montreal
that saw him languish on the bench, but he found his way to Portland via a second trade after the Timbers
needed another forward. Fucito has a
reputation as a feisty competitor that made him a fan favorite up north, and
his comments to the Portland Tribune this week show that sarcastic but
extremely competitive nature. Even
Sigi had something to say about Fucito's remarks, but honestly, Sigi, what
would you expect Fucito to say? "Uh, I'm
really trying to bring down the Timbers from the inside? Wait, I've already
said too much! Go Sounders!" Fucito
has mentioned he's still very close to many of the current Sounder players, but
once the match starts, there is no divided loyalty and that's what I would
expect from this contentious, acrimonious affair.

In
the spirit of a true rivalry, even having home pitch doesn't mean much. Portland can boast a
win in Seattle in 2010 during the Sounders first ever Community Shield
match, while they
drew 1 all in their first match in Seattle as an MLS club in May 2011. Seattle, meanwhile, can point to two U.S.
Open Cup wins in 2009
and 2010
in Portland in their three championship runs to the USOC title in addition to a
win in Portland in June 2011 behind a late contested goal. As with many great matchups like this,
records and locations don't matter because the two teams will fight hard
regardless. Honestly, I wouldn't expect
anything less when these two teams meet, especially since both clubs are
dealing with issues.

View full sizeBrent Wojahn, The Oregonian, 2004The crowd will be certainly pro-Timbers, but they'll be a vocal contingent of fans traveling from North, making the atmosphere truly electric.

Portland hasn't been able
to find the net since their
draw against Vancouver at home on May 27, which seems so long ago. Portland took
the lead in the second half behind a Kris Boyd goal, but they gave up the lead
on a late goal leading into the frustrating efforts against Cal FC and Los Angeles. The team has been working to acclimate
forward Danny Mwanga more after his debut in California, while defender Stephen
Smith is officially back from his wedding and should be available this
weekend. For the first time in quite a
while, the Timbers should have nearly a full roster available outside of those
players that are dealing with chronic injuries.
This is especially true since most Timbers gone on international duty
have returned, although midfielder Rodney Wallace has been dealing with an
ankle knock he suffered in training, and goalkeeper
Jake Gleeson is now officially on the New Zealand Olympic team for the 2012
London Games.

Seattle, meanwhile, played
a midweek match hosting Sporting Kansas City that was a chippy, spirited affair
ending
in a 1 all draw after absorbing an embarrassing loss in Montreal on June 16 as the Impact opened
Saputo Stadium for the first time as an MLS venue. The Sounders then travel to San
Jose to play the next round of the U.S. Open Cup on June 26 before
traveling to New England for a match with the
Revolution on June 30. Seattle
will be down one key player, as Sounders midfielder Alvaro Fernandez will not
be eligible for the June 24 match after being ejected in the Sporting KC
match. They were buoyed by the return of
forward Steve Zakuani, who
was amongst the 18 available players versus SKC but he did not appear.
Zakuani was injured during a match with the Colorado Rapids back in April 2011,
and has been working hard to return to match play. With so many matches in a compressed
timeframe, the Sounders will need to rely upon their depth to get them through
this difficult stretch.